Reported by Bit Irom
Imphal: A formal complaint has been filed with the Director General of Police (DGP), Manipur, after the underground outfit Kuki Liberation Army–Letkholun (KLA-L) issued a strong statement opposing Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh’s proposed visit to Kuki-Zo areas on May 15, 2026.
Consequently, the Chief Minister has postponed the scheduled visit to Churachandpur district, an area predominantly inhabited by Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities.
In his complaint, the complainant, Mayanglambam Bobby Meetei, accused the KLA-L of labelling an entire community as the “enemy.” The complaint stated that the outfit’s statement promotes hatred, hostility, and ill will between the Meitei and Kuki communities, thereby endangering public peace, social harmony, and the secular fabric of the nation.
It urged the DGP, Manipur, to direct the concerned police station to register an FIR under Sections 196 and 197 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the office bearers and members of the KLA-L.
Furthermore, the complainant requested that the DGP investigate the matter, prevent the further spread of hate speech, and take measures to avert any outbreak of communal violence.
The KLA-L, on May 13, issued a strong statement opposing the Chief Minister’s visit, warning that any attempt to enter the region could further escalate tensions. In a press release issued the same day, the outfit claimed that the separation between Meitei-majority areas and Kuki-Zo regions had become “absolute” following the ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur in May 2023.
The group also warned against crossing buffer zones established by security forces and stated that responsibility for any unrest arising from the proposed visit would rest with the Chief Minister and the Government of India.
“We seek peace, but we will not allow our borders to be trampled upon,” the statement read.
Additionally, the group, formed in 1992 under the leadership of Paozangam Letkholun, claims to be fighting for an independent Kukiland or a separate Kuki state.
The KLA-L’s funding is largely sourced from extortion and the collection of “protection fees” in its areas of operation, primarily in regions inhabited by the Kuki-Zo people.